A man was shot and wounded in a hijacking in Claremont on Wednesday afternoon.
Hercules police spokesperson Captain Bonginkosi Msimango said the victim and a friend were visiting a dealership in Claremont to buy a vehicle.
“The two men went inside the dealership and left money in their bakkie. When one of the men returned to collect the money, he was approached by a man who demanded his vehicle keys.”
Msimango said the man resisted and was shot in the leg by the hijacker’s accomplice.
“We are now investigating a case of hijacking,” said Msimango.
Eyewitnesses Paul and Charmaine Venter said they saw the victim parking his white Toyota Hilux Bakkie.
“They went into the dealership and when they came out they stood outside for a while before heading to the vehicle. In the meantime, a man walked into the dealership and he asked if we had an engine and a body with papers. We told him no and he walked out,” Charmaine said.
She said the same man attacked the victim when he went to his vehicle. The man was beating up the hijacker when he was shot.
Paul said: “The hijacker looked like he was a bit high. Even one of my workers saw that there was something suspicious about him.”
Paul said the sector police were alerted after the shots.
“The sector police were very quick to respond. We helped the wounded man as best as we could, and gave him one of our couches so he could be comfortable,” said Paul.
The hijackers drove off in the victim’s vehicle. They ignored a red traffic light in their haste to escape. The hijacked vehicle was found on the corner of Ernest and Center street in Pretoria Gardens a few minutes later.
Police were on Thursday still searching for the two men.
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Also read: Man shot during hijacking
